Overview of the SAS IT Resource Management Data Model

About the SAS IT Resource Management Data Model

The data model for SAS IT Resource Management provides a rich set of features. The data model supports a number of data sources from computer system hardware, operating system software, networks, Web servers, databases, and applications on z/OS, Windows and UNIX platforms. Distinct data sources are characterized as adapters in SAS IT Resource Management terminology. Each distinct adapter can have one or more domain categories that are designed to provide a reporting framework for the adapter data sources. Default domain categories have been created that permit source data to be grouped together for staging and aggregation in order to create report-ready data.

Features of the SAS IT Resource Management Data Model

The following features are available from the SAS IT Resource Management data model for all of the supported adapters:
  • Column labeling is standardized to make the data model meaningful and consistent across adapters in SAS IT Resource Management objects, including template tables, staged tables, aggregation tables, and information maps. Labels are coded for easier viewing and to shorten total label length, making them easier to understand. In most cases, columns with similar meaning in different adapters are named with a similar label in order to promote more consistency in classification and metric names across adapters. In most labels, the name incorporates the respective domain category.
  • A significant number of computed columns are added to the data model. The function of computed columns is similar to derived and formula variables in the SAS IT Resource Management 2.7 release and in earlier releases. However, one significant difference is that for SAS IT Resource Management, computed columns always take up physical storage. The computations for these computed columns are often simply represented as an RVALUE expression. However, there are some computed columns that include multiple SAS statements in the expression. In addition to these supplied computed columns, users can extend the function of the data model by adding their own computed columns.
  • Supplied computed columns include the following areas of functionality:
    • standard date and time derivations that are based on the source datetime found in the raw data.
    • normalized columns that convert lowest common denominator units into industry standard data representations. These normalizations include the following conversions:
      • bytes to kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes
      • seconds to milliseconds
      • bits to megabits
      • service units to MSU (millions of service units)
      • percentages between 0 and 1 to percentages between 0 and 100
    • generating a total value from several disparate parts—for example, input + output, read + write, received + sent, and so on.
    • generating a column that contains a value that is the opposite of an already existing column. This conversion highlights the variance in the usage of a resource in contrast to the availability of the same resource.
    • generating event counters to count individual events and enable them to be easily summarized when aggregating the data.
    • generating new classification columns when an individual instance of a performance metric needs to be separated from the global instance. This enables the global and individual instances to be aggregated separately.
    • converting raw counts to rate-based values.
    • calculation of buckets for counts and percentages that are associated with ranges of response time.
  • Formulas, that were present in SAS IT Resource Management 2.7 and earlier, are also available in the new data model, but their usage is different. In SAS IT Resource Management, formulas are reusable shared expressions for use with computed columns. Supplied SAS IT Resource Management formulas are frequently used to set the values for date-based and time-based computed columns that are included in the data model. Customers can also use these same formulas for the computed columns that they create, or they can create new formulas that can be used for their computed columns.
  • The most suitable national language support (NLS) format is used for many supplied columns in the data model. Therefore, a large percentage of columns is ready for formatting in multiple languages.
    However, some time-based columns that focus on accumulations of time and other columns already using specialized formats have not been converted to NLS because there is currently not an acceptable equivalent NLS format.

Data Model Staging and Aggregation General Concepts

The process of staging data is required in order to prepare raw data and to create data extracts in SAS data set format. Staging is primarily an intermediate step that is performed before the creation of aggregations in the SAS IT Resource Management data model. (Existing staged data is overwritten for each new iteration of the staging process.) The SAS IT Resource Management data model is based on aggregations. Aggregations are created to provide report-ready data that can be easily input into an information map. An information map is a map that enables the aggregated data to be available for several SAS reporting clients, including SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Web Report Studio, and SAS OLAP Cube Studio.
Note: The following information describes the aggregations that are generated by means of the Adapter Setup wizard. The information does not necessarily apply to all aggregations in general.
Aggregated data tables in the SAS IT Resource Management data model have the following structures and properties associated with them:
  • The name of the aggregation table consists of a concatenation of a time period and a descriptive string. The descriptive string represents a domain category in a mixed-case format that uses uppercase letters to signify the beginning of a new word. For example, the name of an aggregation table might be one of the following: DayHourCpu or MonthJobSummary.
  • The aggregation table has an aging limit specified in days.
  • The time period for aggregated data is represented by one or more columns in the classification list.
  • The aggregated data contains one or more classification columns. Some of these columns are time-based and other columns are not based on time.
  • The aggregated data might contain one or more ID columns.
  • The aggregated data contains one or more statistics. Statistics can be weighted or unweighted, depending on the nature of the performance metric. Weighting is typically by duration of time or by a counter that indicates a number of events. Weighting columns are explicitly specified in SAS IT Resource Management.
  • The aggregated data can contain one or more ranked metrics. Each ranked metric can be based on a class or ID variable or on a statistic.
  • The aggregated data can contain one or more computed columns. These columns can use any aggregated data as sources for their calculations.
  • Filters can be used both to keep only appropriate data, and to reduce the volume of the aggregation table's output data.

Data Model Aggregation Table Groups and Time Periods

Aggregation tables in the data model are grouped into aggregation table groups. Multiple aggregation table groups can be defined within an adapter's domain category. An aggregation table group is a set of aggregation tables that contain a set of classification columns that are identical, except for the time period classification columns. The time periods vary among the aggregation tables in the aggregation table group.
For example, in an aggregation table group that is based on Memory, the aggregation tables are named DayMemory, DayHourMemory, DayShiftMemory, MonthMemory, MonthHourMemory, MonthShiftMemory, and XMinMemory. (XMinMemory signifies aggregation tables that are based on sub-hourly memory activity). Typical time periods that can be represented in an aggregation table are datetime, hour, shift, day, week, and month. An aggregation table can focus on a single time period, such as datetime, day, week, or month. Alternatively, it can include multiple time periods such as day and hour or day and shift. An aggregation table that uses the datetime period typically focuses on time intervals that are less than a full hour. Aggregation tables that focus on day, week, month, hour, and shift time periods work with time periods of an hour or more.

Data Model Aggregation Key and Ranked Metrics

The SAS IT Resource Management data model provides metrics that are identified as key or ranked metrics. Key and ranked metrics are primarily the same metrics within the adapters, but they are handled differently depending on the type of aggregation that they are used in.
  • Key metrics are metrics that are output to a Key Metrics aggregation table. A Key Metrics aggregation table usually includes the term “KeyMetrics” in its name (for example, KeyMetricsMemory). The intent of the Key Metrics aggregation table is to keep a limited set of important performance metrics for a long period of time. This tactic facilitates better capacity planning and forecast reporting. Key metrics are not ranked. Only one statistic is specified for a key metric in a Key Metrics aggregation table.
  • Ranked metrics are metrics within an aggregation table for which ranking is done. Metrics can be ranked in any aggregation tables, but they are typically not ranked in Key Metrics or XMin (sub-hourly) aggregation tables. Ranked metrics are based on statistics. Typically only the most meaningful statistic is ranked.
  • Both metrics and date classifications can be ranked using either ascending or descending criteria that is based on a list of classifications that are specified for the ranking of the available data.

Data Model Aggregation Strategies

There are several distinct types of aggregation processing strategies that are available for the supported adapters and domain categories in the data model. These strategies are listed here with characteristics that are representative of them.
  • Server activity strategies are used for the following adapters and domain categories:
    • RMF domain category of the SMF adapter
    • DT Perf Sentry Exchange InfoStore domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Exchange InfoStoreMailbox domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Exchange InfoStorePrivate domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Exchange InfoStorePublic domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Exchange MailServer domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server Disk domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server Network domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server PagingFile domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server PhysicalDisk domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server ProcessorCpu domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • DT Perf Sentry Server System domain category of the DT Perf Sentry adapter (formerly the NTSMF adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent Disk UNIX domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent Disk Windows domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent LogicalSystem UNIX domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent Network UNIX domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent Network Windows domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent ProcessorCpu UNIX domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent ProcessorCpu Windows domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent System UNIX domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Perf Agent System Windows domain category of the HP Perf Agent adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Performance Agent, or HP-OVPA, adapter)
    • HP Reporter Disk UNIX domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter Disk Windows domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter LogicalSystem UNIX domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter Network UNIX domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter Network Windows domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter ProcessorCpu UNIX domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter ProcessorCpu Windows domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter System UNIX domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • HP Reporter System Windows domain category of the HP Reporter adapter (formerly the HP OpenView Reporter, or HP-OVREP, adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr CacheWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr CpuUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr CpuWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr DiskUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr FilesystemUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr KernelUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr LogicalDiskWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr MemoryUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr MemoryWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr NetworkUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr NetworkWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr PagingFileWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr PhysicalDiskWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr ProcessUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr SwapUnix domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • BMC Perf Mgr SystemWindows domain categories of the BMC Perf Mgr adapter (formerly the BMC Patrol adapter)
    • SAR domain category of the SAR adapter
      • Processor CPU
      • Network Activity
      • System, Global CPU, Queuing, Memory, Paging, Swap, Cache, Kernel
    • SCOM Server Disk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Server Network domain category of the SMS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Server Paging File domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Server PhysicalDisk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Server ProcessorCpu domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Server System domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange Disk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange InfoStore domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange InfoStoreMailbox domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange InfoStorePublic domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange MailServer domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange Network domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange Paging File domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • SCOM Exchange PhysicalDisk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • VMware Guest Disk domain category of the VMware adapter
    • VMware Guest Network domain category of the VMware adapter
    • VMware Guest System domain category of the VMware adapter
    • VMware Host Disk domain category of the VMware adapter
    • VMware Host Network domain category of the VMware adapter
    • VMware Host System domain category of the VMware adapter
    The server activity aggregation strategies are identified by the following characteristics:
    • Data collection occurs at designated intervals.
    • Server activity in various domain categories (CPU, Memory, Paging, Disk, Network, and so on) is the primary focus.
    • There is one aggregation table group per Aggregation transformation.
    • In general, there are only a few classification columns in the aggregation tables.
    • There are usually diverse metrics in the various aggregation table groups that are created.
    • Statistics are mostly explicitly weighted by the DURATION column. Common statistics are mean, weighted mean, maximum, minimum, weighted population standard deviation, and population standard deviation.
    • Aggregation tables are typically created for eleven time periods. Because data volume is typically low to moderate, it is useful to see server activity across many time periods.
    • Supported domain categories focus on identifying TOPN and BOTTOMN instances for the ranked metrics in these aggregation tables and reporting on these instances.
  • Event activity strategies are used for the following adapters and domain categories:
    • Jobs (batch jobs) domain category of the SMF adapter
    • TSO (sessions) domain category of the SMF adapter
    • DB2 (accounting threads) domain category of the SMF adapter
    • Batch Job and Workload domain categories of the SAPR3 adapter
    The event activity aggregation strategies are identified by the following characteristics:
    • Data collection occurs at termination of an event.
    • Event activity (jobs, tasks, transactions, threads, sessions, other event types) are the focus.
    • Commonly the same list of metrics is found among many aggregation table groups. The list of classifications is what typically varies here.
    • With more classifications, many aggregation table groups are typically created from a single staged table. The goal is to create smaller and more compact aggregation tables that are based on subsets of classifications available in the full classification list. Working with these smaller aggregations should significantly speed up reporting.
    • Larger lists of classification columns are typically found in this strategy.
    • Statistics, when weighted, use mostly a count-based column (for example, a count of jobs, transactions, or samples). The most common statistics specified are sum, weighted mean, and maximum.
    • Because many events are typically collected, data volume is typically high to extremely high.
    • Because of this high volume, aggregation tables are typically created for fewer time periods. There are typically no aggregation tables created for the XMin (sub-hourly) time period.
    • This strategy uses the following types of metrics for reporting:
      • counts of events
      • response time
      • levels of service
      • totals of performance resources or service units used
      • treatment of the favored events (for example, jobs or transactions)
      • identification of events that use excessive resources
  • Hourly summarization of event activity strategies is used for the following adapters and domain categories:
    • CICS (transactions) domain category of the SMF adapter
    • SAPSYS (systems), SAPHST (application servers), SAPSMT (task goals), SAPTSK (tasks), and SAPTRN (transactions) domain categories of the SAPR3 adapter
    This aggregation strategy is identified by the following characteristics:
    • It is not a distinct strategy, but a variation of the event activity strategy.
    • The staged table that is used as input to building aggregation tables has already been summarized to the hour. This characteristic distinguishes it from the event activity strategy. In addition, the volume of staged data to be read as input is minimized. It might (or might not) significantly affect the volume in the aggregation output.

Data Model Adapter and Domain Category Summary

Each SAS IT Resource Management supplied adapter can have one or more domain categories that are associated with it. Domain categories have been created that enable users to group source data that should have data staged and aggregated together for reporting purposes. The current mapping of the SAS IT Resource Management data model supplied adapters and domain categories is as follows:
  • DT Perf Sentry (eleven domain categories)
    • Server Disk
    • Server Network
    • Server PagingFile
    • Server PhysicalDisk
    • Server ProcessorCpu
    • Server System
    • Exchange InfoStore
    • Exchange InfoStoreMailbox
    • Exchange InfoStorePrivate
    • Exchange InfoStorePublic
    • Exchange MailServer
  • BMC Perf Mgr (sixteen domain categories)
    • CacheWindows
    • CpuUnix
    • CpuWindows
    • DiskUnix
    • FilesystemUnix
    • KernelUnix
    • LogicalDiskWindows
    • MemoryUnix
    • MemoryWindows
    • NetworkUnix
    • NetworkWindows
    • PagingFileWindows
    • PhysicalDiskWindows
    • ProcessUnix
    • SwapUnix
    • SystemWindows
  • HP Perf Agent (nine domain categories that contain both UNIX and Windows platforms)
    • Disk UNIX
    • Disk Windows
    • LogicalSystem UNIX
    • Network UNIX
    • Network Windows
    • ProcessorCpu UNIX
    • ProcessorCpu Windows
    • System UNIX
    • System Windows
  • HP Reporter (nine domain categories that contain both UNIX and Windows platforms)
    • Disk UNIX
    • Disk Windows
    • LogicalSystem UNIX
    • Network UNIX
    • Network Windows
    • ProcessorCpu UNIX
    • ProcessorCpu Windows
    • System UNIX
    • System Windows
  • SAR (four domain categories)
    • Processor CPU
    • Network Activity
    • System, Global CPU, Queuing, Memory, Paging, Swap, Cache, Kernel
    • Disk Activity
  • SAPR3 (seven domain categories)
    • SAP R/3 System (system measurement)
    • SAP R/3 Host (application server measurement)
    • SAP R/3 System Host TaskType (task activity by application server)
    • SAP R/3 TaskType (task activity by system)
    • SAP R/3 Tcode (transaction measurement)
    • SAP R/3 Batch (batch job measurement)
    • SAP R/3 Workload (workload measurement)
  • SMF (four domain categories)
    • RMF
    • Jobs and TSO
    • CICS
    • DB2
  • SNMP (six domain categories)
    • Device ad Interface data
    • System data
    • IP protocol data
    • TCP protocol data
    • ICMP protocol data
    • UDP protocol data
  • Microsoft System Center Operations Manger (fourteen domain categories)
    • Server Disk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Server Network domain category of the SMS SCOM adapter
    • Server Paging File domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Server PhysicalDisk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Server ProcessorCpu domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Server System domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange Disk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange InfoStore domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange InfoStoreMailbox domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange InfoStorePublic domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange MailServer domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange Network domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange Paging File domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
    • Exchange PhysicalDisk domain category of the MS SCOM adapter
  • VMware vCenter (eight domain categories)
    • Guest Disk
    • Guest Network
    • Guest Storage
    • Guest System
    • Host Disk
    • Host Network
    • Host Storage
    • Host System
  • Web Log (four domain categories)
    • Browser Activity
    • Server Activity
    • Visitor Organization Activity
    • Web Page Activity
Note: Other adapters are supported in the Adapter Setup wizard but have no supplied aggregations. These adapters include DCOLLECT, EREP, IMF, NTSMF-MXG, TMON2CIC, TMONDB2, TMS, TPF, and VMMON.
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